1 . While in middle school, students seem to have one goal: to be popular. Like most thirteen-year-olds, I gave in to this need to
One afternoon, I told my father that I wanted to be popular. He looked at me and asked me why I felt that way. I
My father
As the days passed and I thought about it, I realized there might be some
| A．get away | B．break up | C．set off | D．fit in |
| A．scratched | B．shrugged | C．switched | D．shook |
| A．simply | B．unwillingly | C．consciously | D．pleasantly |
| A．proceeded | B．determined | C．pretended | D．attempted |
| A．fashionable | B．practical | C．unique | D．elegant |
| A．sample | B．souvenir | C．decoration | D．must |
| A．resisting | B．describing | C．sporting | D．designing |
| A．depressed | B．delighted | C．shocked | D．disappointed |
| A．trend | B．revolution | C．campaign | D．reformation |
| A．dignity | B．confidence | C．regret | D．embarrassment |
| A．attention | B．response | C．truth | D．gratitude |
| A．complaining | B．blaming | C．appreciating | D．pleasing |
| A．caring | B．fancying | C．remembering | D．imagining |
| A．satisfaction | B．challenge | C．expectation | D．liberation |
| A．Leaning | B．Voting | C．Swimming | D．Running |
2 . In the 1970s, a new supermarket selling LPs arrived in my hometown and I began devoting my pocket money to acquiring records. I swiftly developed an affection for Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, harboring dreams of performing that music myself. Despite the absence of a piano at home, there was one at my grandmother’s care home, where I learned to play Beethoven by ear, with pigeons cooing and farmers working in the fields. It was truly magical.
Entering the Royal Academy of Arts at 16 marked the beginning of my artistic journey. In my 30s, I took another significant step in life-marriage. My wife worked at Elephants World, a reserve dedicated to the care of rescued domestic elephants. These elephants have worked for humans all their life and many are blind or disabled from being treated badly, so I wanted to make the effort to carry something heavy myself. For my 50th birthday, my wife successfully persuaded the manager to allow us to bring a piano into the reserve, bringing music to the elephants’ lives.
Initially, when I started playing, it was hard to hear the piano above the sounds of nature and the elephants chewing grass. However, everything changed when a blind elephant ceased eating and tuned into my playing. It struck me that this elephant, trapped in a world of darkness, had a profound love for music. From that moment on, there was no longer any concern about disturbing their peace. We occasionally film these performances, and now, we proudly have nearly 700,000 YouTube subscribers.
I continue to play for these elephants that run freely in the reserve, despite the constant potential danger. Surprisingly, it’s the moody male elephants who show the most fascination with the music. I firmly believe it has a calming effect. These elephants’ breathing actually slows down when I play, which tells me they are relaxed and happy. I’ve even witnessed elephants seemingly dancing to Beethoven’s tunes. With their exceptional hearing and the ability to sense vibrations (震动) through their feet, I am convinced that elephants grasp the language of human expression. This serves as a powerful illustration that music serves as a universal language, connecting us all.
1. What motivated the author’s early affection for music?| A．Exposure to Beethoven’s music. | B．Employment at Elephants World. |
| C．Attendance at the Royal Academy of Arts. | D．Piano teaching at his grandma’s care home. |
| A．Personal achievements in music. | B．A combination of music and care. |
| C．Successful fundraising for the reserve. | D．Recognition for the author’s artistic journey. |
| A．Emotional recovery. | B．Physical exercise. |
| C．Financial support. | D．Artistic expression. |
| A．Save the Mistreated Elephants | B．Connect the Elephants with Music |
| C．Play the Piano for Rescued Elephants | D．Make the Hearing of Elephants Sharp |
3 . Scenes of a comic character swelling up after eating peanuts in Western TV shows have long been puzzling for many Chinese viewers, as few people in China meet those who have a severe peanut allergy (过敏反应).
Their confusion can be explained by Chinese researchers in a new study that Chinese adults and children are more likely to be allergic to seafood, and less likely to be allergic to peanuts compared to people in the United States and Europe. “Animal-derived (动物源的) foods were the primary offending foods, especially shrimp, and skin symptoms were the most commonly reported unpleasant reactions,” said the study. The difference means that cultural, dietary, industrialization and biological factors can play an important role in food allergy patterns, it added.
Chen Hongbing, a professor from the State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology at Nanchang University, who was involved in the study, said, “For instance, in a previous study on self-reported food allergies among children, seafood topped the list, followed by fish, eggs, fruits and milk.” However, some research also puts wheat as one of the most common allergy triggers among the general population, eggs and milk are considered the most common allergens among infants and young babies. Chen said more research is needed to address these discrepancies (差异性) and to determine if various dietary habits across China result in varied food sensitivity.
Luo Xiaoqun, a doctor who was not involved in the studies at Fudan University’s Huashan Hospital, said that the increasing rate of food allergies is a phenomenon observed worldwide, driven by changes in lifestyles, eating habits, as well as growing health awareness and diagnostic ability.
Reading allergen labeling on food packages is an easy way to protect consumers from potential allergy triggers. However, food allergen labeling in China is not obligated currently and labeling largely follows an international food regulations. “China has made improvements in devising food labeling standards in recent years, hopefully our findings can accelerate the process of making such labeling compulsory in the near future,” Chen said.
1. What’s the purpose of writing paragraph 1?| A．To introduce food people are commonly allergic to. |
| B．To make a comparison between different allergies. |
| C．To introduce a study about allergies. |
| D．To describe typical allergy symptoms. |
| A．eating habits. | B．cultural factors |
| C．diagnostic ability | D．biological factors |
| A．results | B．patterns | C．reactions | D．causes |
| A．China has popularized food labeling in recent years. |
| B．The findings have speeded up the process of food labeling. |
| C．Professor Chen expects a promising future of food labeling. |
| D．China makes no progress in making food labeling. |
4 . When my mom passed away only a few years after we’d lost Dad, the wound of my grief was
As I walk along the path through the park, I
| A．raw | B．tough | C．urgent | D．firm |
| A．passion | B．recreation | C．desperation | D．addiction |
| A．aspect | B．step | C．inspection | D．direction |
| A．realize | B．design | C．visualize | D．specialize |
| A．exploration | B．restoration | C．restriction | D．conservation |
| A．absurd | B．temporary | C．innocent | D．delicate |
| A．break off | B．sink into | C．take up | D．engage in |
| A．pace | B．rhythm | C．version | D．strength |
| A．Consequently | B．Subsequently | C．Eventually | D．Absolutely |
| A．rejoin | B．remain | C．recall | D．rebuild |
| A．additional | B．formal | C．typical | D．mental |
| A．challenge | B．assignment | C．dilemma | D．loss |
| A．circumstances | B．attitudes | C．prospects | D．feelings |
| A．Therefore | B．Moreover | C．Otherwise | D．Nevertheless |
| A．conclusion | B．wonder | C．reminder | D．episode |
5 . The Best Houseplants for Every Space and Situation
The best indoor plants are the ones that suit your aesthetic (审美的) preferences and aren’t too difficult to maintain. Here’s what you need to know about these different categories of houseplants, so you can choose the ones that work best in your own home.
Low-light Indoor Plants
Not every home has a large bay window for plants to soak up the sunshine. Fortunately, there’s a large variety of plants that aren’t die-hard sun-worshippers. Whether you have a dim corner that’s crying out for a little greenery or you’re craving some color in your bedroom, the best low-light indoor plants don’t require a lot of time or energy.
Tall Indoor Plants
Tall houseplants can instantly bring a space to life by adding definition and texture (质感) to any home-decor style. Working with limited space? Not a problem. You can still make the most of tall indoor plants. Even just one of them can be a striking visual point for a room, and it can help draw the eye upward, making the room appear larger.
Small Indoor Plants
Just because you don’t have a mansion doesn’t mean you can’t have a lush indoor garden. There are plenty of plants that grow in smaller spaces, the teeniest of which can look adorable like a tiny family on a windowsill or shelf. Keep in mind, however, that the smaller the pot is, the quicker the soil will dry out.
Indoor Hanging Plants
What makes indoor hanging plants so special? They fill a blank space in a room with a beautiful silhouette, for starters. They create the illusion (假象) of a jungle, where plants peek out at different heights. They also move the eye upward, opening up the space.
1. What do tall indoor plants and indoor hanging plants have in common?| A．They do with limited space. | B．They fill a space like a jungle. |
| C．They match any decor style. | D．They improve visual effect. |
| A．Low-light indoor plants. | B．Tall indoor plants. |
| C．Small indoor plants. | D．Indoor hanging plants. |
| A．Gardening. | B．Health. | C．Fashion. | D．Wildlife. |
6 . Growers are finding new ways to extend the British asparagus (芦笋) season and meet demand for this tasty and healthy crop.
Asparagus is believed to have been enjoyed as long ago as the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman empires. It promotes healthy bacteria in the large intestine (肠) and can help reduce bloating (胀气). A source of vitamins K and C, it also has numerous benefits to the immune system generally.
Fans of asparagus will be delighted to know that nowadays there’s more opportunity than ever to get hold of homegrow n product. One of the country’s leading asparagus growers and pioneers of extending the British season is the Chinn family. The family grows Wye Valley-branded asparagus and sells into supermarkets, local restaurants, wholesale markets and processors.
The company has been growing asparagus since 2004 and has developed a reputation for innovation, using modern production and packing techniques to lock in the freshness immediately after harvesting. The traditional British asparagus season runs from 23 April to 21 June, but Chris Chinn says by using new varieties and polytunnels to protect the crop, his farm has massively extended that from February to late June.
Called “the Usain Bolt of vegetables”, British asparagus can actually grow up to 10cm in a single day. It thrives in free-draining sandy soils, and, as Chris puts it, “does not like wet feet”. That has made the past few months a big challenge for growers with the amount of rain that’s fallen so far this year.
In spite of that, this season, the Chinns pushed the envelope once again, harvesting the first commercial volumes for sale in a local Food store in early February — the earliest it’s ever been available. “This especially early crop is the product of innovative methods, and environmental sustainability is a key concern with us using only the sun’s heat, and on-farm compost,” says Chris. “We are absolutely delighted to be first to market with British asparagus once again.”
Chris says that with all asparagus spears picked and packed by hand, getting enough seasonal labour onto the farm is a constant headache for growers. There is hope, though, that technology will ultimately be able to help.
1. According to the passage, what can we know about the British asparagus?| A．It is a forgiving plant in low-lying areas. |
| B．It grows fast and can’t tolerate light shade. |
| C．It is good for immunity and physical well-being. |
| D．It grows in winter and likes growing in wet fields. |
| A．Boosted the volume. | B．Unfolded the letter. |
| C．Reduced the pollution. | D．Stretched the boundaries. |
| A．How to extend the asparagus season. |
| B．The reason for seasonal labor shortage. |
| C．Some technology to solve the labor shortage. |
| D．The constant headache for asparagus growers. |
| A．New Ways to Harvest the Asparagus |
| B．Asparagus, the Usain Bolt of Vegetables |
| C．Innovations to Extend the Asparagus Season |
| D．The Chinns, the Innovator of Growing Asparagus |
7 . When we are desperately searching for our glasses, wallet or keys, we might wish to have a photo-graphic memory, but the truth is we are designed to forget.
In fact, the majority of what we experience in a given day is likely to be forgotten in less than 24 hours. And that is a good thing. Think of all the passing encounters with people you will never see again and the times you spend waiting in a queue at the supermarket. If our brains hoarded (贮藏) every moment of every experience, we would never be able to find the information we need among an ever-increasing pile of information.
So, if memory is not supposed to be a comprehensive collection of the past, what is the point of remembering at all?To answer this question, it helps to think about what it means to remember in the first place. For more than 25 years, I have studied how we are able to recall past events, an ability known as “episodic memory”. It is described as the uniquely human capability for “mental time travel, roaming at will over what has happened as readily as over what might happen, independently of the physical laws that govern the universe”. I first read this description of mental time travel when I was a graduate student, and I was deeply sceptical. Now, with the wisdom of age, I understand what it meant.
When you recall a rich episodic memory, there is a noticeable feeling of being transported back to a point in your past, a specific time and place. For instance, the smell of freshly baked pastries might remind you of having breakfast with your grandmother. Findings from my lab and others have shown that, at the moment of remembering, the brain appears to return a bit to the state that it was in at the time, enabling us to relive these past experiences.
This is why, if you have misplaced your keys, it can be helpful to put yourself, mentally into the context where you last saw them. Getting in touch with the sights, sounds and thoughts from an earlier time period can be an effective way of accessing those memories.
1. Why does the author think forgetfulness is a good thing?| A．We are born to forget the past events. |
| B．It helps to find the needed information. |
| C．All the encounters are not that pleasant. |
| D．Our brains fail to hoard important moments. |
| A．It partly depends on the physical laws. |
| B．It explains our ability to remember the past. |
| C．It becomes obvious with the wisdom of age. |
| D．It focuses on purposeful mental time travel. |
| A．To express love for grandmother. | B．To share a feeling of time travel. |
| C．To illustrate a vivid episodic memory. | D．To forget precious past experiences. |
| A．Recall the situation where we saw them. |
| B．Search the labs where we do experiments. |
| C．Think in our mind what they looked like. |
| D．Write our real thoughts related to them. |
8 . Trained goldfish demonstrated a remarkable ability to accurately estimate the distance. Spatial navigation (空间导航) in mammals, birds, and reptiles is well understood, but it was unknown whether similar structures existed in fish. This knowledge would allow us to better understand how spatial navigation systems evolved.
Researchers from the University of Oxford tested whether goldfish could perform a task central to spatial mapping-distance estimation — to see if they have similar spatial navigation systems to land species. The study, led by Dr. Adelaide Sibeaux, trained nine goldfish to travel 70 cm within a narrow tank covered with a repeating pattern of vertical stripes (竖条纹) every 2 cm. When the fish reached the predetermined distance, they were prompted by an external cue to turn around and swim back to the starting point. The researchers then tested whether the fish would swim the same distance if the external cue was removed and the starting position was changed. They also tested whether goldfish would swim the same distance when the background pattern was changed.
According to the researchers, the results indicate that goldfish estimate distances by visually streaming the apparent motion patterns of objects in the environment (called “optic flow”). Many land species are known to use optic flow to estimate distance, but goldfish appear to process the information differently. Land animals, including humans, ants, wolf-spiders, and honey bees, estimate distances by measuring how the angle between their eye and surrounding objects changes as they travel. Goldfish, on the other hand, appear to use the number of contrast changes experienced on the way.
“We present strong evidence that goldfish can accurately estimate distance and show that they use optic flow to do so,” says lead author Dr. Adelaide Sibeaux. “These findings support the use of goldfish as a model system for studying the evolution of the mechanisms in vertebrates (脊椎动物).”
1. What does the word “prompted” underlined in the second paragraph refer to?| A．Punished. | B．Reminded. | C．Forgotten. | D．Cheated. |
| A．To make it easy for the goldfish to turn around. |
| B．To demonstrate the goldfish’s swimming ability. |
| C．To research into the goldfish’s sense of distance. |
| D．To help the goldfish reach the learned distance. |
| A．copying land animals | B．processing information |
| C．experiencing changes | D．applying optic flow |
| A．Goldfish Have an Excellent Sense of Distance |
| B．The Use of Optic Flow Among Land Animals |
| C．A Study Is Being Carried Out on Trained Goldfish |
| D．The Evolution of Spatial Navigation in Vertebrates |
9 . When Zhou Longshan started filming birds 10 years ago at Baiyangdian Lake, a major wetland in northern China, he just wanted to record his favorite species—egrets. Then, things snowballed. In the following years, the teacher became a bird-watcher, a volunteer ranger at the lake, a photographer documenting over 110 bird species and an educator popularizing bird-related information among students.” Sharing bird-protection knowledge with children can make them feel the beauty of their hometown and the importance of birds, and help them cultivate the habit of protecting birds from an early age,” he says.
Over time, Zhou’s interest in birds continued to grow. In 2021, he was appointed as a bird observer by the natural resources bureau (自然资源局) of Anxin county, responsible for conducting regular patrols (巡逻) and popularizing bird-related knowledge. To monitor birds, Zhou would ride a bike to Baiyangdian almost every day before dawn, whatever the weather. He would record the birds appearing at the lake, along with their locations, where they fed and when they migrated, thus providing reference data for staff members of the natural resources bureau of Anxin county.
Although Zhou takes delight in the role, there are still many challenges. Sometimes, he has to navigate earth embankments on his bike. One summer day in 2021, he fell into a ditch with water more than a meter deep, resulting in water damage to his cellphone.
However, these difficult episodes have not undermined Zhou’s love of birds. Over the years, he has taken more than 100,000 pictures of the birds at Baiyangdian. During his spare time, he reads books on China’s birds, talks with other enthusiasts and university professors, and updates his WeChat official account to introduce Baiyangdian to a wider audience.
These days, Zhou’s schedule is growing busier. In addition to his regular patrols near the lake, he is sometimes invited to local schools to give lectures, keeping students informed about birds and how to protect them. Zhou will retire next month. “I will continue patrolling the lake and photographing the birds to contribute to the protection of birds in my hometown,” he says.
1. Why did Zhou start taking photos of birds at first?| A．To share bird-protection knowledge with children. |
| B．To cultivate the habit of protecting birds. |
| C．To keep track of his favorite species. |
| D．To become a volunteer ranger at the lake. |
| A．He rode a bike to Baiyangdian every day before dawn. |
| B．He went to Baiyangdian in all weathers. |
| C．He recorded all the birds along with their locations. |
| D．He provided reference data for natural resources bureau. |
| A．He didn’t meet any challenges while doing the job. |
| B．He reads books about birds all over the world in his free time. |
| C．He is invited to local schools to give lectures every day. |
| D．He uses social media to introduce Baiyangdian to more people. |
| A．Enthusiastic and controlling. | B．Knowledgeable and persistent. |
| C．Farsighted and reserved. | D．Considerate and stubborn. |
10 . In a large survey of people’s first memories, nearly 40% of participants reported a first memory that is likely to be fictional, according to findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Current research indicates that people’s earliest memories date from around 3 to 3. 5 years of age. However, the study from researchers at City, University of London, the University of Bradford, and Nottingham Trent University found that 38.6% of 6, 641 participants claimed to have memories from age 2 or younger, with 893 people claiming memories from age 1 or younger. This was particularly prevalent among middle-aged and older adults.
As many of these memories dated before the age of 2 and younger, the authors suggest that these fictional memories are based on remembered fragments (碎片) of early experience — such as a pram (婴儿车), family relationships and feeling sad — and some facts or knowledge about their own infancy or childhood which may have been derived from photographs or family conversations.
“Further details may be unconsciously inferred or added” added Shazia Akhatr, first author on the study and Senior Research Associate at the University of Bradford.
“When we looked through the responses from participants we found that a lot of these first ‘memories’ were frequently related to infancy, and a typical example would be a memory based around a pram,” explained Martin Conway, Director at the Centre for Memory and Law at City, University of London and coauthor of the paper.
“For this person, this type of memory could have resulted from someone saying something like ‘mother and a large green pram’. The person then imagines what it would have looked like. Over time these fragments then become a memory and often the person will start to add things in such as a string of toys along the top,” he added.
“Crucially, the person remembering them doesn’t know this is fictional,” Conway noted. “In fact when people are told that their memories are false they often don’t believe it. This partly due to the fact that the systems that allow us to remember things are very complex, and it’s not until we’re 5 or 6 that we form adult-like memories due to the way that the brain develops and due to our maturing understanding of the world.”
1. What can be inferred from the study mentioned in the passage?| A．Some people have clear knowledge about their own infancy. |
| B．Added details are an important clue to recall the childhood. |
| C．Most people claimed to have memories from age 2 or younger. |
| D．Talks between family members affect the earliest memories. |
| A．By making comparison. | B．By setting examples. |
| C．By analyzing data. | D．By referring to documents. |
| A．They have a strong desire to remember things accurately. |
| B．They have a tendency to trust their own memories without questioning them. |
| C．Their brain development makes it hard to distinguish real and false memories. |
| D．Their memories are closely related to complex things in life. |
| A．Many people’s earliest memories may be fictional. |
| B．People’s earliest memories can date back to 2 or younger. |
| C．The middle-aged and adults specialize in detailing their first memory. |
| D．Memories develop due to our maturing understanding of the world. |
